Many methods are used today for removing unwanted facial and body hair. The most common method is shaving where hair is removed near the skin by a blade scraped across the skin. Other methods include waxing where hair is pulled out of the skin by the roots, depilatories (cream or lotion) which chemically dissolve the hair, and laser or electrolysis where electricity is used to remove the hair.
In the case of waxing, two types of wax are common, namely hard wax and liquid wax. Hard wax as its name suggests is solid at room temperature but liquefies when heated. Once heated the wax is applied on the skin over the unwanted hair with a wooden spoon or spatula in a thick layer. The wax is then allowed to solidify embedding the hair. Once solidified, the wax is rapidly pulled away from the skin in one piece removing the trapped hair with it.
Liquid wax, more commonly use, is extremely thick at room temperature but gets thinner as it is heated. When heated to the desired temperature, the wax has the consistency of warm runny honey. During waxing a metal or wooden spatula is dipped into the wax, wiped on one side to remove excess wax and to reduce dripping, and is then horizontally carried to the area of the body to be waxed. The wax is applied to the skin in a thin layer in the direction of the hair growth. The spatula is then put down and a pre-cut strip of muslin or cotton cloth is pressed on the sticky wax. The strip is then pulled away in one quick motion in the opposite direction of the hair growth, pulling the hair out of the skin by the roots. The liquid wax is normally supplied to beauty salons in 14 oz metal cans. Prior to use, the cans are heated in an electric warmer to heat the wax to the desired temperature.
Unfortunately the above described technique of applying liquid wax is inconvenient. Specifically, when the can of wax is almost empty, the warmer needs to be tilted in order to allow an individual to reach the wax at bottom of the can. Often cans are disposed of at this point resulting in a significant amount of wasted wax. When adding a refill can into the warmer, there is typically a 40 minute wait for the wax to reach the desired temperature and consistency. In addition, the traditional spatula limits the amount of wax that can be carried and has the tendency to drip on the customer or on the floor. There is also a risk of burning the customer if the wax is applied too thick onto the skin. Because the wax on the body cools off rapidly, the muslin cloth has to be used after almost each dipping of the spatula, requiring the user to switch repeatedly between the spatula and the muslin cloth.
An alternative device to apply wax to an individual is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,958,951 to Inverness. This device consists of a plastic cartridge holding liquid wax that is heated in its own electric warmer. The cartridge has a roller head, and when the wax is "hot", the cartridge is taken out of the warmer, turned up-side down and rolled onto the area of skin to be waxed, dispensing wax as the head "rolls" along the skin. Once the wax has been dispensed, the cartridge is replaced in the warmer and a cloth is used as described above to remove the wax and the unwanted hair.
Unfortunately this device suffers other drawbacks in that it is not convenient for professional use because it creates significant packaging waste. In addition the roller head, which becomes covered with wax, cools off between applications, often making it very hard to roll and sticky at the beginning of each wax application thereby slowing the application process. Accordingly, improved devices to apply wax are desired.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a novel wax warmer and applicator apparatus.